1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to panel support brackets. More particularly, the present invention relates to support brackets for use in bracing support panels for tile installation.
2. Related Art
Installing tile in environments subject to wet conditions, such as shower and bath areas, has been popular for many years. Many such tile installations utilize cementitious mortar, which is used to bond tiles to an underlying attachment surface, after which a cementitious grout material is then applied between the tiles to fill gaps between adjacent tiles. Because grout is generally a porous material, water can and does seep through the grout, and so the eventual presence of water behind (or under) the tiles must be addressed in the tile installation. In general, the water that seeps through the grout should be both prevented from seeping into surrounding structure of the building, such as wall framing or sub flooring, and should be directed in some manner toward a drain of the shower or bath.
To aid in these goals, many conventional tiling installations utilize a vapor barrier of some type, such as plastic sheeting, which is installed against walls or floors over which the tile will be installed. In most applications, a lower vapor barrier, commonly known as the shower pan, is placed where the floor of the shower will be installed and generally extends a short distance up the walls of the shower. The pan is coupled to the drain of the shower in a manner that allows water to flow from the pan into “weep holes” formed in the drain. Sheets of vapor barrier are then attached to walls of the shower such that the wall vapor barriers overlap, and terminate within, the pan. In this manner, water flowing down the wall sheets of vapor barrier will flow into the pan and drain through the weep holes. Thus, water which seeps through the grout of the tile installation travels along the vapor barrier, either on the walls or the floor of the shower, until the water eventually flows into the weep holes of the drain of the shower.
The wall and floor components of the vapor barrier essentially form a “perimeter,” about which exists a dry environment, and within which exists a wet environment. Thus, wall framing and sub floor materials about the vapor barrier perimeter can be formed from a variety of materials, including wooden materials, as the framing and sub floor materials will not likely be exposed to moisture. However, any materials within the vapor barrier perimeter should be capable of withstanding a wet environment, due to the seepage of water through the grout of the tile installation.
When a ledge, such as a seat or shelf, is installed in shower areas, the ledge is generally framed within the perimeter of the vapor barrier, and thus must generally be framed from materials which can withstand a wet environment. For this reason, seats or shelves in shower areas are very rarely framed with wooden materials because wooden materials are susceptible to rot when exposed to moisture. Thus, only “non-wooden” materials are generally used to frame seats or shelves in shower or bath areas.
The most common conventional method of utilizing non-wooden materials for framing seats or shelves involves the placement of cement blocks or bricks within the vapor barrier perimeter. The cement blocks are generally placed in the location where the seat or shelf is to be tiled and are arranged to form the shape of the seat or shelf. Generally, the concrete blocks are placed or installed into position and an often large quantity of brick mortar is used to fill voids in and between the blocks or bricks, and to provide a smooth finish over the blocks or bricks. Multiple applications of brick mortar are often necessary to ensure that the seat frame is true and sufficiently smooth to receive tiles. This process results in a substantially solid seat or shelf being formed from bricks or blocks that are partially filled with and covered by mortar. Once this solid “frame” of the seat or shelf is completed, tile can be set or laid upon the frame in the finished tile installation.
While this method has proven at least partially effective in some applications, it suffers from a number of problems. For example, as cement blocks and brick mortar are relatively heavy materials, use of them as “framing” material adds considerably to the weight of the overall installation. In addition, due to the large quantity of brick mortar used, erection of the underlying “frame” for a conventional tiled seat typically takes at least a full day of work and cure time before tile can be set or laid over the block frame. Also, the use of square or rectangular bricks or blocks often limits the choice of geometry of the seat or shelf, as forming elaborate shapes becomes difficult when using square or rectangular frame components.
For at least these reasons, framing of tile seats or shelves for use in wet environments remains problematic to tile installers.